System irrigation and sprinkler.



No. 890,044. PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. T. K. GODBEY.

SYSTEM IRRIGATION AND SPRINKLER.

APPLIOATION FILED BB 30, 1907.

UNXTE THOMAS K. GODBEY, OF WALDO, FLORIDA.

SYSTEM IRRIGATION AND SPRINKLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed December 30, 1907. Serial No. 408,632.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS K. GO'DBEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Waldo, in the county of Alachua and State of Florida, haveinvented a new and useful System Irrigation and Sprinkler, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to irrigating systems and has for its object toprovide a system in which the water is conducted from a pump or othersuitable source of supply and distributed through a plurality of branchpipes over the surface of the land to be irrigated. v

A further object of the invention is to form the branch pipes withdischarge perforations or orifices having one or more spraying elementsdisposed within the same, which latter are kept in constant motion bythe current of water flowing through. the perforations thus serving toprevent the perforations from becoming clogged or otherwise obstructedby deposits of sand, dirt, and other foreign matter.

A still further object of the invention. is generally to improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construc tion may be resorted to within. the scope of theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:Figure 1 is a plan view of an irrigating system constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinalsectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detailperspec tive view partly in section illustrating a modified form of theinvention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate cor responding parts in all ofthe figures of the drawings.

The improved system forming the sub ject matter of the present inventionis principally designed for irrigating lands or spraying growingvegetation and the like and in its preferred embodiment comprises a mainpipe 5 communicating with a pump or other suitable source of watersupply and provided with a plurality of lateral branch pipes 6 havingperforations 7 formed therein through which the water is discharged overthe surface of the land to be irrigated.

Slidably mounted in the perforations 7 are one or more spraying elements8 each preferably formed of a single piece of wire bent intosubstantially U shape to produce spring arms 9 the terminals of whichare bent laterally to form stop fingers 10 adapted to bear against theinterior walls of the adjacent branch pipe thereby to limit the outwardmovement of the spraying elements.

The distance between the arms 9 at the stop shoulders 10 is less thanthe diameter of the discharge opening or perforation so as to permit thespraying element freely to move within the same without unnecessaryfriction between the parts.

It will thus be seen that the water flowing through the main supply pipe5 and branch pipes 6 will be discharged through the orifices 7 and incoming in contact with the curved walls of the spraying elements will bedivided and discharged over the surface of the land in the form of afilm or spray, as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. As the watercomes in contact with the closed ends of the spraying elements the forceof Water will have a tendency to oscillate the spraying elements withinthe perforations thus keeping the latter in constant motion. andpreventing the perforations from becoming clogged or otherwiseobstructed with deposits of sand, dirt and other foreign matter.

In using the sprayer the spring arms 9 are pressed inwardly with theforefinger and thumb until the base of the stop fingers come in contactwith each other and in which position the spraying element may bereadily in troduced within the adjacent perforation or orifice. As soonas the pressure on the arms 9 is released the spring of said arms 9 willforce the fingers laterally'in engagement with the interior walls of theconductor adjacent the orifice and iirwliich position the sprayer willbe effectually locked against accidental displacement. It will here benoted that when the water from the pump is out off the spraying elementswill drop by gravity to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings and when the water is admitted to the main pipe the pressure ofthe water will lift the spraying elements to the full line positionshown in said figure, thereby to assist in maintaining the perforationsfree from obstructions.

The spraying elements 8 not only serve to divide or separate the waterbut also serve to regulate the quantity discharged from the branchpipes.

Suitable gate valves 11 are preferably disposed at the uncture of themain and branch pipes for controlling the flow of water through thelatter.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings there is illustrated a modified form of theinvention in which a plurality of spraying elements 8 are employed, thespraying elements being arranged at substantially right angles to eachother with the closed end of one element disposed in contact with theclosed end of the adjacent element, the spring arms of the sprayingelements being loosely mounted in the adjacent perforations or orificesin the manner before stated so as to permit free movement of the same bythe action of the water.

It will of course be understood that any number of spraying members maybe inserted in the different discharge orifices, the number of sprayingelements inserted in each orifice regulating the quantity of liquiddischarged over the surface of the land to be irrigated.

While the system herein shown and described is principally designed forirrigation purposes it is obvious that the same may be installed inbuildings and used with equally good results for extinguishing fires orwherever a device of this character is found de sirable.

Having thus described. the invention what is claimed is:

1. In water distribution, a perforated fluid conductor, andsubstantially U shaped spraying elements loosely mounted in theperforations and provided with spring arms terminating in laterallyextending stop fingers adapted to bear against the interior walls of theconductor, said spraying elements being kept in constant motion by theflow of fluid through the perforations.

2. In water distribution, a perforated fluid conductor, andsubstantially U shaped spraying elements, circular in cross section,loosely mounted in the perforations. and provided with terminal stopsadapted to bear against the interior walls of the conductor for limitingthe outward movement of the spraying elements, said spraying elementsbeing kept in constant motion by the flow of fluid through theperforations.

3. In water distribution, a perforated fluid conductor, and sprayingelements loosely mounted in said perforations and each formed of asingle piece of wire bent into substantially U shape to form convergingspring arms terminating in laterally extending stop fingers adapted tobear against the interior walls of the conductor, said spraying elementsbeing kept in constant motion by the flow of fluid through theperforations.

4. In water distribution, a perforated fluid conductor, and sprayingelements loosely mounted in the perforations in said conductor and eachformed of a single piece of wire bent to form converging spring armsterminating in laterally extending stop fingers adapted to bear againstthe interior walls of the conductor for limiting the outward movement ofthe spraying elements, the distance between the arms being less than thediameter of the perforations whereby the spraying elements are kept inconstant motion by the flow of fluid through the perforations.

5. In water distribution, a main supply pipe, perforated branch pipescommunicating therewith, spraying elements loosely mounted in saidperforations and each formed of a single piece of wire bent intosubstantially inverted U shape to form spring arms terminating inlaterally extending stop fingers adapted to bear against the interiorwalls of the branch pipes, said spraying elements being kept in constantmotion by the flow of fluid through the perforations in the branchpipes, and means for controlling the flow of fluid from the supply pipeto said branch pipes.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS K. GODBEY Witnesses B. W. TILLIs, T. B. TILLIs.

